Metal News for October 29, 2010

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41 news articles posted on this day.

Swedish heavy metallers ENFORCER have finished filming a new music video for the song "Midnight Vice" in Stockholm, Sweden.

ENFORCER shot the video with famed director PATRIC ULLAEUS (DIMMU BORGIR, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE). The track "Midnight Vice" is taken from the band's new album, "DIAMONDS." The video will be released in the next few weeks.

ENFORCER drummer JONAS WIKSTRAND comments, "We finally finished the shooting of the video, after planning this for months. All of us had pain in our necks after one day of shooting from giving everything during our performances in the studio. I have a really good feeling about the video and I think it's gonna be killer."

"Working with Patric, who's made tons of videos during the last decades with huge success, has been a great experience. He's very professional and talented and I believe he's gonna make us look good. I hope the video's gonna be out soon so YOU can see it!"

"Now, I'm looking forward to coming to see you on our upcoming tour with Airbourne! Stay tuned for more!" More...

Norwegian metallers COMMUNIC are currently preparing the final writing details for their follow-up to 2008's "PAYMENT OF EXISTENCE." The band is planning to start the recording process early 2011. The band is hoping for a June 2011 release.

Comments Oddleif, "I am really excited about this new material that we have put together for this new album. There is still some work left, but we are getting closer. I think the heaviness of these songs will surprise many of you, and the overall feeling of it, is way darker this time. The songs are shorter, more in your face and may seem straight forward at first, but there are many twists and turns that will just creep under your skin. This album is DEEP!"

"I know that many of you have been waiting for this album for a long time already, but everything has its time, and the time is now. Never before have I left so much of 'myself' in our songs - never before has the price been so high - this album will be really special."

Pacific Northwest progressive black metal act Agalloch has released the first single for it's upcoming fourth full-length album entitled "Marrow Of The Spirit." The song "The Watcher's Monolith" is available for streaming at this location, courtesy of Stereogum. "Marrow Of The Spirit" is set for release in North America on November 23rd through Profound Lore Records, the track listing for “Marrow Of The Spirit” is as follows:

1. They Escaped The Weight Of Darkness [3:41]2. Into The Painted Grey [12:25]3. The Watcher’s Monolith [11:46]4. Black Lake Nidstang [17:34]5. Ghosts Of The Midwinter Fires [9:40]6. To Drown [10:27]

Swedish hard rock act Hardcore Superstar has posted a new trailer online to promote its forthcoming studio album. The new album, titled "Split Your Lip," is set for release on November 26th, 2010 and is to be issued through Nuclear Blast Records. You can view the trailer below:

Christian progressive metalcore act Underoath has revealed the tracklisting for its forthcoming studio album "Ø(Disambiguation)." The new album is set for release on November 9, 2010 through Solid State Records.

California metalcore act As I Lay Dying has posted a video online from its recent performance on The Daily Habit. The video features the band performing the song "Vacancy." You can view the video below:

As I Lay Dying recently revealed details regarding the band's forthcoming release of "The Powerless Rise" in a box set format. The new edition, being labelled as "super deluxe fan box" is set to include "The Powerless Rise" CD and 12" vinyl picture disc, "The Powerless Rise" DVD documentary with in-studio footage and interviews plus exclusive bonus content, guitar, bass and drum tab book, hardcover book with lyrics, photos, and an editorial from the band, 12" x 12" lithograph print, three collectors As I Lay Dying guitar picks, mini drumstick keychain, As I Lay Dying vest patch, As I Lay Dying window cling and an As I Lay Dying jacket pin.

Gunnison Beach, New Jersey progressive metallers East Of The Wall have posted a third tour diary video online. The footage was taken during the band recent overseas trip to Europe. East of the Wall are currently on tour in support of its 2010 release, titled "Ressentiment ."

Death Angel has issued the following announcement about canceling tonight's previously scheduled show in Brazil:

"Due to travel complications and no other flights available, Death Angel is not able to perform today in São Luis, Brazil at the Centro Historico. We were looking forward to contributing to this show and the cause and are truly sorry for this unfortunate situation. We extend our deepest apology to all of our fans that planned to see us at this show."

Norway's Leprous has posted a new tour blog online. An excerpt from the blog follows:

"The first of day of our trip was delayed due to an unexpected issue. All the copies of our most recent album “Tall Poppy Syndrome” had by mistake been sent to 'Sør -Norge Aluminium' (South Norway Aluminum) in Husnes near Bergen. It was so late as Wednesday afternoon (we were supposed to leave Wednesday evening) before a guy called us and told us that had received our package. Since we all live in Oslo, which is approximately eight hours away from Husnes, we had no choice but to delay our trip with one day. TNT - the company responsible for the mess - promised that we should have the package delivered at our door between 8 and 9 am next morning. When we were starting to get nervous the next morning, the package finally arrived at 8:57 am. We were finally ready to leave!!

"Whilst two of the band members (Tobias and Halvor) cowardly chose to fly down to Tilburg, the rest of us had to choose the hardcore-18-hour-drive-with-no-sleep-at-all alternative in order to get all equipment there in time. More...

Richmond, Virginia by-way-of Antarctica shock thrashers Gwar have announced the tracklisting for its upcoming studio album. The album's title has been set as "Gwar's Bloody Pit of Horror" and is set for release on November 9, 2010 through Metal Blade Records. "Gwar's Bloody Pit of Horror" is the follow up to 2009's "Lust In Space."

Gwar Vocalist Oderus Urungus commented by saying:"Our new album is called Bloody Pit of Horror. We are fully aware that there is a movie of the same title, I assure you it has nothing to do with it, save the title, which we stole from them. But you see, we're calling it "GWAR's Bloody Pit of Horror", and that's a little different, so hopefully we won't get sued!"

Here is "GWAR's Bloody Pit Of Horror" tracklisting:

1. Zombies, March!2. Come the Carnivor3. A Gathering of Ghouls4. Storm is Coming5. Tick-Tits6. Beat You to Death7. You are my Meat8. Hail, Genocide!9. KZ Necromancer10. The Litany of the Slain11. Sick and Twisted

Living Sacrifice has issued the following statement about hosting a live chat with fans on November 1st: "Join us on Monday, Nov 1st at 9pm CST for a live chat event with the members of Living Sacrifice at Ensemblog.com - Sign up at the website so you can get your questions to the band!" The chat with Living Sacrifice will take place at this location.

Guitarist/vocalist Ashmedi of Melechesh has posted a track-by-track breakdown of songs 6 - 9 on the band's new album "Epigenesis." The breakdown can be found below.

6. When Halos of Candles Collide (Instrumental) “A perfectly placed instrumental gives the album a new a dimension. This composition reminds me of indian ragas. The piece starts with an acoustic indian sitar, a very mystical sounding instrument. It felt natural to play and was much needed to make this piece complete. The middle part is performed with a 12 string electric guitar which sounds very vintage. Moloch and I mused on the idea to have indian sounding scales, he then recorded a demo for this piece which sounded monumental. We decided to use it. I added other cosmetic 12 string guitars and the electric guitar/sitar hybrid. The piece gradually decends into the sitar again. Perfect for meditation and reflection. And a sure needed breather prior to the following track!”

7. Defeating the Giants “This song starts with a raw old school guitar riff and a sitar melody. The sitar gives the impression of a rational transition after the previous intrumental. The first two riffs of the song were written circa 1995 -1996 back in Jerusalem. We never thought of using them, not until now at least. When I heard some old reherasal tapes from that era I had the main two riffs accompnaied by drums and I was impressed. The middle part and bridges are different very dynamic, with intense yet logical drum rolls then a neck breaking beat with almost bending decending notes. The song returns to its intensity and what I particularly like is the way it ends. Rather than a crash hit there is an ice bell hit. It is very difinitive and represents the end of a banishing ritual. This ice bell has a lot of history with us. It is featured on all ABSU albums but the last and on all MELECHESH albums aside from the first. The silk lanes of Hena, Labrynth map, tell us the tale of ego and loss!”

American heavy metal act Manowar has revealed details behind the re-recording of its 1982 debut album "Battle Hymns." The new version, titled "Battle Hymns: 2011" is set for release before the end of 2010 and includes two live recordings as bonus tracks.

Germany's No Empathy has checked in with the following update about canceling all further upcoming live shows for the remainder of the year:

"No Empathy is forced to cancel all confirmed and planned live appearances for 2010 due to an accident and it's consequential healthy aftermaths of Feind.

"But nevertheless we won't rest. We'll channel all the accumulated force into new Creations which definitely will differ in some cases to the Material known from 'Rust' but even more expressing our inner Spirit. Expect No Empathy!"

Orphaned Land has issued the following announcement about seeking fans to answer questions for an upcoming DVD:

"As you probably already read, Orphaned Land is going to record a DVD. A part of this will be about our fans and the special relationship we have together. For this, Nathalie, our friend & fan club manager, who's been working with us for years, is looking for fans who want to film themselves answering questions in English. Next to that she is searching for fans that will come from abroad to one of the shows in Belgium or Holland and especially the ones in Israel and Turkey.

"Important to know is that fans who wish so, can be made unrecognizable in the documentary! This way they can rest assured they can speak freely, as no one but Nathalie will know who they are.

"Everyone interested can contact Nathalie by filling in the form on our official fan site in English. She will then explain to you how to do it and give you the questions to answer. We are looking forward to your contributions to the DVD, hearing your stories will make for an amazing documentary!"

Pythia has checked in with the following update about upcoming live shows:

"First of all a big thank you to everyone who came to the shows last weekend in Holland with Arch Enemy and also the MFVF in Belgium. We had a great time and thanks for your wonderful support!

"We have 2 gigs coming up next month. The first one is at Scala in London on Friday 12th November as support to Lahannya, followed 2 days later on Sunday 14th by a gig at The Asylum in Birmingham also featuring Lahannya plus some other great bands. We plan to debut some new material from our forthcoming second album at these shows so why not come along for a sneak preview?!"

Norwegian progressive black metal outfit Enslaved has confirmed its appearance for next year's installment of the Rock Hard festival, set to take place between June 10th, 11th and 12th, 2011 at the Amphitheater in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

Norwegian industrial metallers Artifact have posted a new song online entitled "Nexus 6." The new track is available for streaming via the Artifact MySpace page. "Nexus 6" will be included on the band's upcoming full-length album, which is set to be released in 2011.

Greek act Acherontas has issued the following brief update about releasing a 7" EP through Necroterror Productions:

"Acherontas will release a 7ep limited version by necroterror productions. It will be the first psalm before the upcoming full length opus. More details coming soon." In the mean time, you can check out the band's music via this location."

Los Angeles progressive post-metallers Intronaut have posted a fifth studio webisode online. The video documents the recording of the band's new studio album "Valley of Smoke." "Valley of Smoke" was released on October 12, 2010 through Century Media Records.

Spanish thrash metal act Angelus Apatrida has posted its new music video online. The video was shot for the track "Blast Off" which appears on the band's 2010 album "Clockwork" which is available through Century Media Records. You can view the video below:

Here is the "Clockwork" tracklisting:

1. The Manhattan Project2. Blast Off3. Of Men And Tyrants4. Clockwork5. Devil Take The Hindmost6. The Misanthropist7. Legally Brainwashed8. Get Out Of My Way9. My Insanity10. One Side War11. Into The Storm12. National Disgrace

German thrash icons Sodom have announced its participation in the forthcoming edition ofGermany's "Metalfest" festival, set to take place between May 27th, 28th and 29th, 2011 at Dessau. Other big name metal acts such as Cradle of Filth and Arch Enemy have also been confirmed. The confirmed festival line-up can be found below, with more acts expected to be announced in the coming weeks and months.

Belgium melodic black metal act Thurisaz has posted a new video report online. The band has completed its third album, titled "The Cimmerian Years", which is set for an early 2011 release. The album was recorded and mixed at CCR Studio in Zulte, Belgium with producer Kris Belean. You can view the studio report below:

Legendary shock thrash act Gwar has posted a video online from its October 29th, 2010 performance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Gwar performed its new single "Zombies, March" from its forthcoming studio album "Bloody Pit Of Horror." You can view the video below:

City of Fire has checked in with the following update about entering the studio to record new material:

"Hey twits! City of Fire is in the studio working on a few surprises that will be ready for your enjoyment starting this December. If you'd like to follow the process and to stay in touch with all things COF, join us on Twitter. That's right folks, COF has joined the 21st century. Move over, Lindsay Lohan!"

King Conquer has issued the following announcement about supporting As Blood Runs Black on upcoming U.S. tour dates:

"Hey everyone! We are very excited to our announce our support for the As Blood Runs Black headlining tour! We are also very thankful to be going out on the road with such awesome bands like Thick as blood, Burning the masses, In the midst of lions, I the breather and of course the heavy hitting heavy weights As Blood Runs Black! The tour also ends with a big bang right before Christmas with the 3rd annual December Decimation Fest! Check out the flyer below and get stoked! We will have our debut album 'America's Most Haunted' with us for sale and a new line of merch!"

Russia's Kalevela has posted the artwork online for the band's upcoming album "Vedma" ("Witch"), which can be viewed at this location. The new album will be released through Sound Age Productions on November 13th, 2010. Five songs from the upcoming album are also available for streaming via the band's MySpace page.

Omega Lithium has checked in with the following recap of the band's recent appearance at the Metal Female Voices festival:

"Hello everybody! First, we'd like to thank everyone participating in Metal Female Voices Fest, audience and crew and promoters alike. It was a beautiful experience and a great gig. We'd also like to thank to every single fan that followed us until now, it was a great period, and we'll never forget it, you made us what we are now.

"Now, with your support, we reached this milestone, and now it's time to go further. We're working on something, that will everyone look forward to. You won't be hearing from us in a while, but don't worry. We'll be back, and we'll bring something with us."

The 16th edition of the "Black Metal Agenda" compilation is now available for free download via this location. The links for the previous 15 editions can also be found through the Black Metal Agenda MySpace blog. The track listing for the 16th edition is as follows:

This week saw the highly anticipated return of of Danzig’s BLACKEST OF THE BLACK tour. In its latest reincarnation since 2008, the tour’s lineup features Danzig, legendary Bay Area hell-thrashers Possessed and Swedish black metal pioneers Marduk, who are making a rare and long awaited U.S. touring appearance. Toxic Holocaust and Withered round out the bill. The tour kicked off in Albuquerque and will wrap up later this month in Anaheim.

While many British fans were disappointed to see that the proposed tour featuring Sick Of It All and Sepultura would not be coming to the United Kingdom (Sepultura has since been replaced on the tour by D.R.I.,) they were more than compensated with the news that Sick Of It All would be coming to Great Britain after all, and that they would be bringing fellow New York hardcore icons Madball with them.

Although I arrived a little late to catch the start of opening band, No Warning Shot, I was still able to catch around half of their set. This marked my second time seeing No Warning Shot, having previously seen them in April opening for Sick Of It All (whose singer Lou Koller stood next to me throughout much of their set tonight) and once again, the band put on a fantastic display. It came as a surprise to learn that the band doesn't perform regularly because they are perhaps one of the best hardcore bands going if in the United Kingdom, or at least the West Country. Their banter with the Welsh patrons was hilarious and the group have a sense of fun mixed with intensity, much like the evening's headliners. I would honestly recommend fans of hardcore from all over the world to try and get hold of the band's EP.

The first group of hardcore legends to take the stage was Madball, who opened with the classic, "Set It Off." Truely the song sounds as devastating today as it did when it was first released in 1994. Frontman Freddy Cricien is still an unmatchable force on stage and his voice was in perfect shape on this night, tearing through classics both old and new along with long time bassist Hoya Roc, guitarist Mitts and new drummer Igor (who I had mistaken for former Sepultura drummer Igor Cavalera. To be fair he does look like him.) The West Country crowd loved every second of Madball's performance and receieved the new material from the band's recent release, "Empire" with open arms, being treated to the title track as well as "R.A.H.C." Of course, the staples went down a storm too, with "Heavenhell" being the latest song to be considered an honest Madball classic, along with "Down By Law" and set closer, "Pride." the audience greeted these songs with moshing, headbanging and sing alongs. Exactly the way a hardcore show should be. Frankly, the show could have ended after Madball and everyone would have gone home happy.

That said, there were four more legends yet to grace the stage. Sick Of It All is definitely one of, if not the best hardcore group to ever release a record, and their live performances are second to none, a statement which they backed up themselves on this cold Bristol night. Kicking things off with "Good Lookin' Out," the brilliant opening song from 1997's, "Built To Last" album, the band captured the excitement of every member of the crowd and fed off their energy perfectly. More recent songs followed suit, with "Death Or Jail," the single from their excellent new album, "Based On A True Story," and "Uprising Nation" from 2006's "Death To Tyrants" being memorised by around 90% of the crowd. Although there were a few sound issues to begin with, these were rectified quite quickly and the band continued to put on an excellent performance, aided largely by material from their new album, which also included the songs, "The Divide," "Good Cop," "A Month Of Sundays" and "Waiting For The Day," all of which are frankly outstanding.

As one would expect, the older material wasn't left out either, as the band showcased songs from their debut full length, "Blood, Sweat & No Tears" as well as the standard, but by no means ordinary, airings of such classics as "Step Down," "Scratch The Surface" and "Injustice System." One of the things that makes a Sick Of It All show so spectacular is the raport that they have with the audience, joking with them, taking song requests (which resulted in a brilliant cover of Sham 69's "Borstal Breakout") and playfully demanding five pounds from a fan for stage diving while no music was being played. Set closer "Us Vs. Them" capped off what was a truely a magical evening for fans of hardcore.

One can only hope that both bands return to the British Isles as soon as possible.

Sometimes there are interesting bits in the metal world that aren’t exactly newsworthy on their own, might not qualify as “just for fun,” or might even be too old to warrant a new post of its own. So here’s a round-up of some interesting metal bits around the ‘net this week:

Austrian blackened death metal outfit Belphegor has revealed the tracklisting for their forthcoming new studio album, "Blood Magick Necromance." You can check it out below. The album is scheduled to be released through Nuclear Blast Records on January 14th in Europe and on February 8th in North America.

The tracklisting is as follows:

"In Blood - Devour This Sanctity""Rise To Fall And Fall To Rise""Blood Magick Necromance""Discipline Through Punishment""Angeli Mortis De Profundis""Impaled Upon The Tongue Of Sathan""Possessed Burning Eyes""Sado Messiah"

MetalSucks premieres "Fatal Intervention," from Denver, Colorado thrash metal band HAVOK. "Fatal Intervention" is a brand new track from the band's upcoming Time Is Up full-length to be released via Candlelight next year. Vocalist/guitarist Dave Sanchez promises the record will be "so thick, it's gonna give you diarrhea." Release date and further details TBA.

Ohio progressive black/death metallers LOCUSTA, who expanded their fan base with a successful US summer tour alongside Tennessee black/doom Argentinum Astrum, will perform two local shows this November opening for the likes of Possessed, Marduk, Withered, and Toxic Holocaust (11/5/10) and D.R.I., Deadsea and Salvage (11/18). Further info below.

Guitarist Dru Silver comments, "A big thanks to anyone that came out to see us on the west coast. Anyone who had a hand in putting the shows together, gave us food or shelter, or helped us in any way, your support was invaluable. A special thanks to those who took a chance on our band even though they may have been unfamiliar with us. We hope to see all of you again soon.”